jhluxton
  • jhluxton
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12 years ago
I have just come across some negatives which I took in the early 1990s of conservation work underway at Giew Mine, Between St. Ives and Nancledra.

Can anyone confirm what year that this work was undertaken? Only reference I can find on adit now was a remark that the work wasn't particularly well done.

Many Thanks

John Luxton
www.jhluxton.com - Transport, Industrial Archaeology Photography and More
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhluxton/  - my Flickr Photostream
stivesconsols
12 years ago
The engine house at Giew was conserved in 1994 having attracted a £25,000 derelict land grant the previous year. It was the first time Penwith District Council were involved in an engine house restoration.

The engine house was completely repointed and the chimney recapped with bricks. Originally, a grill was to have been placed over Franks shaft but much of the shaft had collapsed, so a concrete plug was installed instead. An earth bank was placed around the concrete remains of the compressor house floor, which effectively buried it!

Something of Giew which remains unpreserved is the 20th Century mill which lies down the hill on the other side of the road. All that is visible today from the path is a square calciner chimney, but beneath the undergrowth lies the mine's mill and tin yard. The mill is on six levels and some 33 metres wide, stretching down the hill over 60 metres. Each level has numerous concrete bases for mine machinery. The upper level contains the concrete bases for the 20 head of Californian Stamps, while the bottom level includes two large buddles and settling tanks. Beyond the mill are the remains of two Bruton calciners and flue which leads to the calciner chimney. Further downhill are the remains of the tin yard. This is set on four levels, has numerous settling tanks and 9 buddles of various sizes.

The 'conservation' of Giew, particularly the repointing of the walls, has received some criticism over the years, but at least some effort was made to preserve something of the mining heritage of the St. Ives district.
lozz
  • lozz
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12 years ago
I lived local to there, I remember that work being done and the critisism of the wrong bricks etc, never the less it still stands which is the main thing. Yes down below around the calciner etc is interesting, when I lived down there the flue walls were more or less intact and the walls of the calciner were just about still standing, underneath the tin floors is a shallow low tunnel/culvert which is capped in granite slabs, I scrambled up through it once.

Lozz.
jhluxton
  • jhluxton
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12 years ago
Thanks for helping me pin down the year the work was done.
I'll upload the photos I took tomorrow evening.

John

www.jhluxton.com - Transport, Industrial Archaeology Photography and More
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhluxton/  - my Flickr Photostream
jhluxton
  • jhluxton
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12 years ago
I have posted 10 pictures taken of Frank's Shaft Engine House whilst conservation work was in progress to my SmugMug Gallery.

http://www.jhluxton.com/organize/The-35mm-Film-Archive/Mines-of-Cornwall-and-Devon/Giew-Mine-Cornwall-1994 

www.jhluxton.com - Transport, Industrial Archaeology Photography and More
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhluxton/  - my Flickr Photostream
lozz
  • lozz
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12 years ago
Brilliant, thanks.

Lozz.
stivesconsols
12 years ago
Interesting photos. Thanks. I've just uploaded a few photos of the engine house prior to renovation to the Giew Mixed Mine Archive Album.

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